Suchergebnisse

State policies that impinge upon the study of foreign languages have been largely the domain of educational agencies. These policies frequently respond to events with little thought to necessary supportive relationships. Thus we now see a spate of mandates for programs in elementary schools with no policy for the preparation of teachers for those grades. We see rationales built upon global competition and a response of two years of study for less than an hour a day. In addition, foreign language planning is often the indirect result of larger, more general policies. In recent years, foreign language study has been mandated as part of policies aimed at higher college admission standards, for desegregation purposes, or for international development. None of these address the realistic potential or the value foreign language study might contribute.